Baldur’s Gate 3 – How to Get to the Nautiloid Helm

Trying to figure out how to get to the Nautiloid Helm in Baldur’s Gate 3? We’ve got you covered. Stick around for more information on the steps you need to take to get to the early game location.

From start to finish, Baldur’s Gate 3 delivers the ultimate D&D campaign, brought to life in the visually stunning world of Faerûn. When you begin your playthrough, you’re first tasked with creating your character, whose build will determine your unique strengths and abilities. As with other RPG titles, the creation of your avatar is followed up with somewhat of a tutorial phase. However, that doesn’t mean traversing the unfamiliar landscape will be easy. As you attempt to escape the Nautiloid at the start of your journey, you’ll need to know exactly where to go. We’ll walk you through it.

How do you Get to the Nautiloid Helm in Baldur’s Gate 3?

One of the first quests you’ll take on at the start of your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough is titled Escape the Nautiloid within the prologue, requiring you to do just that. While your objective is simple, the task is much easier said than done as you’ll need to master the game’s controls on your way to the Nautiloid Helm.

Exploring the first open chamber, you can make a decision regarding another captive’s brain. There are several checks that you can make and provided none of them failed, you can gain a temporary ally. If successful, Myrnath dies, and that produces an Intellect Devourer. Following a cutscene during which you’re introduced to this eerie creature named Us, you can navigate your route with the help of your mini-map. Follow these steps to make your quest a bit easier.

Essentially you have become trapped aboard an Illithid Nautiloid ship with the intention of being turned into a thrall along with other captives aboard with you. Below we will go through a Nautiloid walkthrough to help rescue you from this crashing ship.

1. Head West Outside the Ship

Whether you’ve chosen to travel alongside Us or not, head down from the platform to the outside of the ship. You’ll notice the Helm is marked on your mini-map — keep a close eye on it. Following the waypoint to the Helm, head west through the gaping hole and along the outside of the ship. As you move, do what you can to avoid the nearby flames. Otherwise, you’ll take damage from the fire, making your mission that much more difficult due to your low initial HP.

2. Meet Up With Lae’zel

You’ll soon reach Lae’zel, a githyanki warrior, who approaches you with hostility. Thanks to the tadpole parasites in your heads, she quickly realizes that you aren’t her opponent and urges you to keep moving forward.

As you attempt to head back inside the ship, you’ll be tasked with a battle against some imp-like devils called Mephits. The encounter with these imps will be your first real turn-based combat experience. With Lae’zel by your side, you’ll need to consider your own strengths as well as those of your allies in order to win.

3. Heal Up Your Newfound Party

Once you’ve emerged victorious, be sure that your allies are in good health before pressing on. If you need to heal up, there’s a Restoration Chamber nearby. Interact with it to recover any lost health from the previous encounter. When you’re all set, you’ll need to head upward using a fleshy escalator. This will lead you to a couple of Cultist enemies, whom you may need to battle quickly depending on how you choose to navigate the situation at hand. Do not forget to loot their corpses, as they tend to have healing potions on them which will be essential.

4. Save or Abandon Shadowheart

In the same location, you’ll encounter a frightened Shadowheart (unless you’ve chosen to play as a Cleric) trapped in a mind flayer pod. Saving her is the objective of an entirely different side quest called Free Shadowheart, which Lae’zel will encourage you not to pursue. However, the choice is yours — and it will affect your journey. The distressed spellcaster may prove helpful later on. If you do choose to save her you will need to pass a magic arcana check on the console find the eldritch rune to place into the middle button and succeed on dice rolls to let Shadowheart free to join your adventures. Depending on your class, there are other avenues that you can take to free her.

5. Battle at the Helm

If you need to heal your party prior to entering combat, head south to find another Restoration Chamber. When you’re ready, continue west toward the chamber that leads to the Helm. There, you’ll be faced with another battle, which involves Mephits, a Mindflayer, and Commander Zhalk and his cambion cohort. You’ll want to avoid the latter, as he’s far too strong to take on. However, if you do manage to kill Commander Zhalk and his triple-digit hit points you will be able to loot the Everburn Blade from him which is a gameplay-altering sword in the early game.

6. Reach the Transponder to Escape the Nautiloid

Utilize the strengths of your party members to the best of your ability to reach the tentacle-like nerves of the Transponder inside the Helm in under 15 turns. If you can reach the Transponder terminal, you won’t need to worry about taking out your opponents. In any case, interacting with the Transponder will complete the nautiloid objectives quest and initiate a final cutscene. From there you will start the adventurous journey to find a cure for your mysterious illness.

For more help on your journey in Baldur’s Gate 3, reference these guides from our team: Baldur’s Gate 3 – All Races and Subraces and Baldur’s Gate 3 – Who are all the Companions?